Announcing the 2023 SSMN Symposium Speakers
More than 20 Sloan Scholar alumni presented at the inaugural SSMN Research Symposium on Thursday, October 26, 2023, including Dr. Regina Easley, who delivered a lunchtime keynote on the experience of transitioning from academia to the federal workforce. Read on to peruse the variety of speakers topics explored at the symposium!
Flash Talks, 8:00-9:00 a.m.
Yamixa Delgado-Reyes
BSN Summer Research Project Internship: Combining Deferasirox, an Iron Chelator, with Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Lung Carcinoma
Chair of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
PhD in Biochemistry & Biotechnology, University of Puetro Rico–Rio Piedras, 2015
Eta A. Isiorho
STEM and the Arts
Research Assistant Professor and Director, Macromolecular Crystallization Facility, City University of New York
PhD in Biochemistry, University of Texas–Austin, 2014
Babatunde Olubajo
Big data in healthcare: From labs, conditions, and meds to informatics and analysis
Adjunct Faculty, Health Informatics, Morehouse School of Medicine
PhD in Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, 2004
Session 1, 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Robert Steward
Cellular Mechanics at the Intracellular and Extracellular Level
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Central Florida
PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2011
Cesar Ivan Matamoros
Novel insights into mammary lipogenesis and milk fat production by metabolomics
USDA NIFA/AFRI Postdoctoral Fellow, Pennsylvania State University
PhD in Integrated Physiology, Pennsylvania State University, 2022
Edikan Ogunnaike
Immunotherapy Biomaterials for Cell Therapy Delivery
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
PhD in Biomedical Engineering, University of South Florida, 2015
Roderico Acevedo
Using salivary cortisol to quantify the effects of 12 weeks of water aerobics on those affected by breast cancer
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Westfield State University
PhD in Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, 2016
Andre Wallace
Using genetic screens to identify genes that regulate cell migration
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University
PhD in Biology, Pennsylvania State University, 2011
Session 2, 11:00-12:15 p.m.
Gabriela Sosa
Environmental assessments in fragmented urban ecosystems using National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) protocols & standardized methods
Conservation Manager, Buffalo Bayou Partnership
PhD in Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University–San Antonio, 2018
Raul R. Rodriguez-Berrios
Qualitative test for hydrocarbons and derivatives: A laboratory activity to teach the different types of organic reactions and mechanisms in organic chemistry
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico–Rio Piedras
PhD in Organic Chemistry, UPR–Rio Piedras, 2010
Debora Zamora Kaliski
A hands-on approach to learning the anatomy of the brachial plexus
Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, University of the Incarnate Word
PhD in Biology, University of Texas–San Antonio, 2008
Erica Dasi
Use of sphalerite autotrophic denitrification as a nature-based solution for domestic wastewater treatment
Postdoctoral Fellow in Engineering (ASEE eFellow), University of South Florida
PhD in Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida, 2022
Keynote Presentation, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Regina Easley
My Journey from Oceanography to Metrology: Navigation into a Federal Career
Research Chemist, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Session 3, 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Karla Fuller
Building a research program from scratch: What to do when you need to start over
Associate Professor of Molecular Biology, Guttman Community College, City University of New York
PhD in Molecular Biology, Purdue University, 2006
Olukemi Akintewe
Building effective mentoring relationships: What, why, and how
Associate Professor and Director of First-Year Engineering Experiential Learning, University of South Florida
PhD in Chemical Engineering, University of South Florida, 2015
Dorcas Kaweesa
Mentorship and outreach through the Multicultural Engineering Graduate Alumni Network
Structural Analysis Engineer, NASA Ames Research Center
PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 2021
Michelle Henderson
Integrating Environmental Justice into the Environmental Engineering Curriculum
Postdoctoral Fellow in Engineering (ASEE eFellow), University of South Florida
PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida, 2022
Michael Dunaway
A pragmatic approach to ethical research collaboration with Indigenous communities: A case study with the Penan people of Long Lamai, Malaysia
Future Professors Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University
PhD in Natural Resources, Cornell University, 2019
Session 4, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Cody Gonzalez
Target shape matching of a 1D lithium-ion battery actuator array
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas San Antonio
PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Penn State, 2021
Jessye Talley
Evaluating messaging strategies during a food contamination event using simulation
Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Morgan State University
PhD in Industrial and Systems Engineering, North Carolina A&T University, 2016
Troi Williams
Creating Robots for Navigating Hazardous Situations
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of South Florida
PhD in Computer Science, University of South Florida, 2021
Patricia E. Banks
Higher Education and Artificial Intelligence
Adjunct Professor; MBA candidate; Staff member, Office of Institutional Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
PhD in Engineering, North Carolina A&T University, 2019
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Regina Easley
Dr. Regina Easley is a Research Chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) located in Gaithersburg, MD, in the Chemical Sciences Division of the Materials Measurement Laboratory. Dr. Easley joined NIST in 2014 as a National Research Council Postdoc. In her role as Research Chemist, she co-manages the electroanalytical chemistry laboratory which is responsible for the production of pH Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). Additional research in her laboratory focuses on improving methods to measure the inorganic carbon dioxide system in seawater with an emphasis on pH measurements. These efforts include the development of a Reference Material for oceanographic pH. In addition to her role as Research Chemist, she also serves as an affiliated faculty member at Georgetown University in a newly developed master’s degree in Environmental Metrology and Policy (EMAP). This unique program is a collaboration between GU, NIST, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Dr. Easley earned her B.S. in chemistry from Hampton University and her M.S. in organic chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles. She completed her PhD in chemical oceanography at the University of South Florida, where she was a Sloan Scholar and an NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow.